


And If I May Just Take Your Breath Away

by Wheresarizona



Series: Darcy's Adventures in Star Wars [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, Blow Jobs, Cara is weirded out by PDA, Crossover, Darcy is portaled into the Star Wars universe and ends up with Mando and the child, Episode: s02e04 The Siege, Established Relationship, F/M, Love Confessions, Smut, Soft Din Djarin, That scene where Din drinks soup with the kid, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers, The Mandalorian Chapter 12 Rewrite, The Mandalorian Season 2 but with Darcy Lewis, Vaginal Sex, they are a family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:13:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28906890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wheresarizona/pseuds/Wheresarizona
Summary: Darcy, Din, and the kid are stopping on Nevarro for much needed repairs on the Razor Crest. Darcy meets Din's friends and since nothing is ever easy, they help destroy an Imperial Base.Or Chapter 12 of The Mandalorian but with Darcy Lewis.Also featuring: the child being cute, misunderstandings, and Din in a cable-knit sweater.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Darcy Lewis
Series: Darcy's Adventures in Star Wars [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1630246
Comments: 32
Kudos: 81
Collections: Darcy Lewis Bingo





	And If I May Just Take Your Breath Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is a continuation of my Darcy's Adventures in Star Wars series, so you'll want to read the other stories to get what's going on. 
> 
> As usual, beware of spoilers for the episode!
> 
> Shoutout to Peachgalaxy for giving this a once over before I did a bunch of edits. Any mistakes are my own!
> 
> Shoutout to Dresupi who mentioned a line towards the end that I HAD to add. Thank you!!!
> 
> The characters and such do not belong to me, I'm just borrowing them. Also, if you've watched the episodes you will see some of the same dialogue. I wanted this to be as authentic as possible.
> 
> The Mando'a Translations:  
> cyar'ika - pronounced shar-EE-kah - means 'sweetheart.'  
> riduur - pronounced REE-door - means 'spouse.'
> 
> Darcy Lewis Bingo Square Y2 'Cute!'

Darcy had left Din and the kid alone for ten minutes.

They were on the Razor Crest traveling through hyperspace on their way to Nevarro.

Ten minutes and she came back up the ladder to find Din crouched in front of a vent saying, “The red wire,” in a frustrated tone.

Darcy’s eyes widened.

“What’s going on?” She asked.

“We’re having power issues, and I’m trying to get the kid to change out the wires,” Din said like it was a regular thing for a small child to do.

Darcy didn’t want to freak out on him, but it was their kid, in a vent, with wires. “Oh my God, Din! He’s just a toddler!” She pushed him out of the way and took a look at the vent. It was wide enough that she would be able to squeeze her way inside.

If Clint Barton had taught her anything, it was getting into vents. Why Clint was super into crawling through the Stark Tower ventilation system, Darcy didn’t know. She suspected it had something to do with prank wars and Die Hard being his favorite Christmas movie, though.

_“It’s not Christmas until we watch Hans Gruber fall from Nakatomi plaza, Darce.”_

_“You know, if we watch Love Actually and then Die Hard, Alan Rickman will get punished for what he did to Emma Thompson. Okay, I’ll accept Die Hard as a Christmas movie.”_

So, Darcy was staring at the vent and seeing that there was no way Din could fit in there.

He was too big and bulky. He had broad shoulders. Really, really, nice broad shoulders, and it was understandable that he’d need someone smaller. But the kid?

Darcy moved one arm and shoulder inside the vent, then her head, and finally her other side. It was definitely a tight squeeze, but she made it in, crawling towards the child. The kid stared at her, cooing as he held up the wire. “Be careful with that, buddy. I’ll be there in just a second,” she said. She finally made it to the child and got the wire from him. “What am I doing with this?” She called back. The kid giggled.

There was silence.

Was Din just staring at her ass?

“Din, babe. Stop staring and tell me what to do with the wire,” she said, exasperated.

She had not intended to be getting into a vent today. They’d left Trask maybe an hour or so ago, and as soon as Din got them safely into hyperspace, he had been trying to get things repaired. The Mon Calamari man on Trask said he’d make the ship flyable, and that’s _all_ he did for a thousand credits.

Din cleared his throat. “Uh…” he said dumbly. He seemed to get his wits about him after a second, “The red wire needs to go where the blue is in the board,” he said, his voice gruff. “But don’t let the two wires touch.”

Darcy nodded, tongue peaking out of her mouth as she concentrated on removing the blue wire and then put in the red wire. “Okay, it’s done!” She put the blue wire aside, grabbed the kid, and started scooting back out of the tiny space. When her bottom half was out, Din’s hands immediately went to her waist before groping her ass as he helped pull her out.

Darcy chuckled as she stood up, Din hovering over her.

“Are you gonna try the power now?” She asked, biting her lip, the kid held in her arms.

“Oh. Yes,” he reluctantly moved back into the cockpit.

“Want some soup, little guy?” Darcy asked the kid. He smiled and babbled at her, which she took as a yes.

There was a sound from the ship like it was still struggling with the power. “ _Dank farrik,”_ Din grumbled from the cockpit. She heard him flipping switches aggressively.

“Babe, I’m gonna go feed the kid and myself some bone broth,” Darcy called, peering at the back of Din’s helmet.

He never ate with them, for obvious reasons. Din ate on his own. It didn’t bother Darcy. She understood that he had his creed, and she respected it.

Din turned in his chair to face her. “Will you make me some, too?” There was a tone to his voice that sounded kind of nervous. Darcy didn’t know why he’d be nervous.

“Do you want me to bring it up here for you?”

Din shook his head. “No, I’ll come down with you.”

Darcy’s brows furrowed. This was a first. He’d sat with them while they ate, but he’d never eaten _with_ them.

“Okay..?”

Din followed her down the ladder.

He arranged some crates around the portable heater. The ship was a lot colder than normal, which was probably from the bad patch job. Din moved a long crate on one side and a smaller one at an angle next to it. Darcy set the kid down on the longer crate while she heated up the soup. Din took a seat next to the kid. She looked over her shoulder to see Din patting the child’s back gently as the kid looked up at him with big eyes and a smile, talking in his own little language.

“You did good, kid,” Din said softly, head tilted down towards the child.

Darcy felt like she was gonna melt from how sweet it was.

“ _Cute!_ ” She squealed to herself as she turned back to the broth, a big smile on her face.

She juggled the three bowls and made her way back to them. Din thanked her when he took his, and the kid made happy noises. Darcy sat on the smaller crate next to Din. She could see them both from her seat.

The child started sipping, and Darcy brought her own bowl to her lips. Her attention suddenly moved to Din when she watched him lift up his helmet partway to drink his own broth.

Darcy choked and started coughing when she caught a glimpse of his chin, immediately averting her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Din asked, helmet back on, head turning towards her.

“What are you _doing_?” She asked, still coughing.

“I’m drinking broth?”

“Okay? Um, I’ll just stare at the wall? That’s safe. Or the kid, I’ll stare down at the kid.” She looked at the child in question, who took a sip like nothing was going on.

“You don’t have to do that,” Din said quickly. “We’re just having a meal… as a family,” he shrugged.

Her eyes quickly moved to Din’s t-visor. “But I saw your chin? Isn’t that like… illegal?” She whispered the last word, her eyes big.

Darcy was kind of weirded out by this situation and how chill Din was being. Anytime the helmet was lifted from his face, either her eyes needed to be closed or the lights off. This was new.

Did he want her to see that little piece of his face?

“It’s… okay,” he said. He reached out with his free hand and rubbed her arm reassuringly. “Drink your broth before it cools.” At that, his hand retreated, and he lifted his helmet again, drinking his own.

Darcy took a careful sip. The kid seemed to be watching Din in interest now, too, still slurping his broth.

Darcy watched as Din and the child sipped at the same time.

“That’s so damn cute,” she whispered before taking another drink.

Her eyes kept moving back to Din, though, trying to memorize what his chin looked like each time the helmet went up. She’d felt it so many times, running her fingers over his jaw and chin in the dark. It was nice to have a little visual. Darcy had seen all of his body bare except his head, and she knew she should find that weird, but she respected him? Darcy had accepted when she allowed herself to love him that she’d never see his face. So, seeing his chin was definitely throwing off her groove.

Was this because of Bo-Katan and the others? Was Din second-guessing his creed? Should she talk to him about it again? They’d talked briefly on Trask after first meeting the other Mandalorians who didn’t adhere to his creed. Darcy decided she’d wait for him to bring it up if he wanted to discuss it.

Darcy went to take another sip and realized her bowl was empty, taking her out of her thoughts. “How long until we arrive at Nevarro?” Darcy asked Din.

“With how the ship is running?” He took a second, hitting some buttons on his vambrace to check the status in his helmet. “About twelve hours,” Din replied.

Darcy nodded. The other two looked to be done, so she got up, taking all of the empty bowls and putting them away to be cleaned later.

“Oh!” Darcy exclaimed. She had spotted her messenger bag on the bunk and remembered that she had gotten him a gift when they were on Trask.

It was a dark red cable-knit sweater that she couldn’t stop imagining him wearing. She hoped he’d like it. They had been so busy with Din going on the mission with the other Mandalorians to commandeer a freighter spaceship and Darcy in a state of worry over him while she watched the kid; it had slipped her mind. She went and got into the bag. She could feel Din watching her as she grabbed the sweater and hid it behind her as she turned towards him. “I got you something,” Darcy said, biting her lip.

Din’s helmet tilted. “You got me something?” He sounded confused.

“Yeah, when I went shopping. There was something I had to get you.” She slowly approached him, and then when she was within arm’s reach, she held out the sweater.

Din was quiet for a second.

“Do you hate it?” She asked, frowning and lowering the sweater to look at him.

He quickly got up from his seat and carefully grabbed it from her hands. “No, _cyar'ika_. I love it,” his voice sounded tight. He held the sweater under his arm so he could take off his gloves to feel the garment with his hands as he looked at it. “It’s so soft.” His head lifted back up to look at her. “I haven’t been gifted clothing since I was a boy.”

Darcy felt her heart clench. “Oh,” she whispered.

He pulled her into a hug, his head resting atop hers. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I figured it would be a nice ship sweater. Something you could wear around here… if you want.”

Din leaned back. She could feel his gaze on her. “Do you want me to put it on now?” He asked, voice low.

Darcy’s brain misfired. That’s definitely something that she wanted. They had time while traveling in hyperspace, but she knew once he put it on, she’d want to climb him like a tree. She couldn’t resist, though. The kid would need to nap eventually.

“Yes,” she said, nodding.

“Okay, I’ll be back,” he squeezed her arms gently and then headed up the ladder, Darcy assumed to go up to the captain’s quarters. They’d lucked out that the room and ‘fresher attached seemed to be okay after everything that had happened to the ship.

Darcy fiddled with her tracking bracelet and was surprised when little arms wrapped around her calf. She looked down to find the kid hugging her leg and looking up at her with his big eyes.

“Hey, buddy,” she said, leaning down to pick him up. “You doing okay?” She asked.

He smiled and babbled at her.

“We’ve had such a busy day. Hopefully, things will chill out while we wait for the ship to be repaired,” she said, affectionately rubbing the kid’s head. “You were such a good kid, trying to help your dad. I’m very proud of you.” The child seemed to preen at her words.

Darcy’s attention turned to the ladder when she heard Din’s boots as he climbed down.

Her mouth went dry, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of his back covered in the red material. He made it to the bottom rung and turned. Darcy continued staring for a moment, eyes moving up and down his body. He’d changed into a pair of cloth pants that hung low on his hips, along with the cable-knit sweater and his helmet. It was a good look.

She was so busy checking him out she hadn’t realized he’d been speaking to her until she heard her name.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” She asked, knowing her face had to be flushed.

Din chuckled, walking towards her. “I said, I like the sweater. It’s comfortable and warm.” He was in her space now, one of his hands rubbing her arm. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she breathed. The kid took that moment to poke her in the face like he was reminding her that she was holding him. Din moved his hands to his hips, weight to one side as he watched her and the child. Darcy’s attention moved to the kid in her arms. “Doesn’t your dad look handsome in his sweater?” She asked, tilting her head towards Din. The kid looked at him, chattering. Darcy couldn’t stop herself when she reached out with her free hand and rubbed it along Din’s arm. She squeezed his bicep, enjoying the feel of his muscle under the material. She wondered how it’d feel against her body.

“You’re enjoying me wearing this sweater,” Din said matter of factly, a smile evident in his voice.

Darcy nodded. “Yes. A lot. A sexy man in a nice cable-knit sweater really does it for me,” she leaned into him, lowering her voice. “I’ll show you how much I like it later.”

“I look forward to it,” Din’s voice was gruff. Probably thinking about what she wanted to do to him.

The kid was still up, so they’d need to do something to keep him busy until he fell asleep, and then she and Din could have some alone time. Darcy bounced the child in her arms, and he let out a laugh. Darcy put her attention into keeping the kid busy. Din stayed nearby as they played games, watching them fondly.

After a couple of hours, Din decided to head back up to the cockpit to try and get more repairs done. The kid seemed fascinated when Darcy got out her yarn and knitting needles to work on a hat for him. She’d seen a video once of someone making a hat for their cat that had holes for the ears. She figured she could do something similar for a kid. Darcy got a bit of it done when he finally started yawning. She put him down for a nap, closing the bunk door once she knew he was passed out.

* * *

Din and the sweater hadn’t left Darcy’s mind the entire time she was hanging out with the kid, and now that they could be alone, she felt the excitement pooling in her tummy. She climbed up the ladder and found Din in the pilot’s seat, hitting buttons on the control panel. Darcy moved around the chair and crawled into his lap, her legs draped over the side of the seat and her arms around his neck. Din’s hands immediately went to hold her against him.

“Hey there, sexy. Whatcha doing?” Her voice was husky as she stared up at him, her fingers lightly scratching at the back of his neck.

His helmet tilted towards her, one hand coming up to stroke through her hair. “Still trying to figure out the power issue.” He sighed. “I can’t seem to fix it.”

Darcy hummed in acknowledgment. Her eyes were roaming over Din’s chest and neck. She loved seeing the exposed skin, his tan skin looking nice against the red of the sweater. She couldn’t help herself when she leaned forward, kissing along his neck. Her hand skimmed down his chest, feeling the material under her fingers.

“Darcy…” Din groaned. His hand tightened in her hair as she licked at a spot she knew would drive him crazy.

Darcy leaned back. “Baby, let me show you how much I like this sweater,” she said as she ran a finger down his helmet, over his throat, and down his chest.

“Okay,” he nodded.

“Turn the chair, so I have some room.”

Din’s hands moved off her to hit the latch to turn the chair away from the control panel and give her more space. Once it was in place, Darcy leaned up, pressing a kiss to his helmet, and then moved down his body to kneel in front of him on the ground. Din’s legs widened, so she could fit between his knees. Darcy ran her hands down his chest and over his thighs, keeping her gaze on his helmet as he watched her. Looking up at him through her lashes, she felt arousal pooling in her stomach. She felt his thigh muscles tighten under her fingers. She could see that he was already hard in his pants.

“What… what are you doing?” He gulped.

She grinned as her hands found the front of his trousers. “I think you know exactly what I’m doing.” She pulled his pants open and took his length in her hand, Din groaning at the first touch. Darcy pulled him out of his pants. He was hard in her hand, precome beading at the tip. She gave him a couple of strokes before leaning forward and taking him into her mouth. Din let out a low moan, his head tilting back as she bobbed up and down his length, using her hand to stroke what she couldn’t fit into her mouth. She worked him over, hollowing her cheeks, and enjoying the sounds that were coming from his helmet, getting him closer and closer to coming. It wasn’t long before he was looking down at her and giving her a warning.

“Sweetheart... I’m getting close,” he sounded absolutely wrecked. She hummed around his cock, looking up at him. “I don’t… I don’t want to come in your mouth.”

Darcy lifted her head off of him, wiping a hand across her mouth. She nodded. “Okay, give me a second…” She understood what he was wanting, so she quickly got up and shimmied out of her clothes and got back into his lap naked, straddling his thighs. Din’s hands went to her hips as she lined him up with her entrance and slowly lowered herself onto him. She was so wet and ready to take him, but there was still that delicious stretch that took her breath away. They moaned as she bottomed out. Din held her down on him for a second, like he was trying not to come right then and there.

“You’re so tight, sweetheart. It’s like you were made to take me,” Din growled.

Darcy pressed her naked chest against him, loving the feel of the sweater against her breasts, her hands moving to his shoulders. “Oh fuck…” Darcy moaned. “Can I move?”

Din’s helmet nodded. “ _Yes._ ”

She started working herself up and down his cock, the stretch feeling amazing. She adjusted the angle to get him to hit that sweet spot in her that had her moaning loudly with each roll of her hips. One of Din’s hands went to the apex of her thighs so he could rub her clit. Darcy felt her pleasure rising until finally, she was falling over the edge, clenching around him. Din continued to move her up and down him until he pulled her down hard, spilling inside her with a grunt.

Darcy fell forward, her head nestling against his shoulder, the sounds of them breathing heavily filling the cockpit.

“You can buy me more sweaters, if you want,” Din said, rubbing his hand down her spine.

Darcy laughed, leaning back to look at him. “I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, why don’t we take this to the dark bedroom so we can make out?”

“I’ll follow you.”

He’d already softened inside her, but she still whined when she got off of him, feeling their combined fluids leaking out of her. She knew they’d be going a few more rounds, and there was no point in cleaning herself up right away. She got to her feet, leaning down to grab her discarded clothes as Din rose from the chair. He lightly swatted her bare ass, causing her to giggle as she grabbed his hand and led him to the captain’s quarters.

* * *

After many orgasms, some sleep, and cleaning (the ship and themselves), they finally arrived to Nevarro.

Situated in the outer rim, Nevarro was a volcanic planet that had rocky flats, hills, and lava fields. Due to the conditions, the world only had one large city above an underground lava river.

Darcy was sad to see Din change back into his armor. The ship was shaking again once it was out of hyperspace, making it a very bumpy ride. The closer they got to the town, Darcy couldn’t help but feel more nervous about meeting Din’s friends. He was piloting, and Darcy was in the co-pilot’s chair, holding the kid in her lap. She rubbed one of his ears.

“Do you think they’ll like me?” She asked Din, the worry getting the best of her.

Din turned to look at her. “Yes? Why wouldn’t they?” He sounded truly confused by her question. He probably didn’t care what people thought of him, though.

Darcy bit her lip, looking away from him. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m not actually from this universe. What if I say the wrong thing?”

“Darcy, look at me,” her eyes turned back onto his helmet, “You’re better with people than I am.” Darcy couldn’t help smiling at that. “And I’ll be there to help. You have no reason to worry.” He reached his hand back for her to grab.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Din gave her hand a squeeze and then turned back towards the ship’s controls.

He landed them near the town, and it looked to be late in the afternoon. Anytime they were planetside, Darcy always dressed in her armorweave shirt and pants, just in case. Things could get dangerous out of nowhere, and it was added protection. She also grabbed her messenger bag, so she could do some shopping. Din grabbed his own pack with some supplies since they’d probably be there for a day or two while the ship was repaired.

The landing ramp wouldn’t even go down all the way. Din was holding the kid as they had to hop off the slanted ramp onto the ground. They were greeted by two people who Darcy assumed were Din’s friends, Cara and Greef. Din had told Darcy about what had happened on Nevarro with Moff Gideon, so she was well aware of Cara and Greef. She just wasn’t expecting Cara to look like that; a total badass with the rebel insignia tattooed on her cheek.

“Look’s like you could use some repairs,” Greef said as he grasped arms with Din in greeting. Darcy focused her attention on the man. Greef looked over at her and gave her a charming smile. “You brought a new companion, I see,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“This is my...” Din paused like he was trying to find the right word to describe her, “Partner, Darcy.”

Darcy smiled at his struggle and gave a little wave to the others.

“Like partner or _partner_?” Cara asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Darcy chuckled. “Definitely the second one,” Darcy said, doing finger guns.

Din sighed. “Maybe this was a bad idea introducing you.”

“It’s fine,” Darcy said, looking over at him.

“How’s my credit around here?” Din asked Greef.

“We can figure something out for you. Isn’t that right, Marshal?” Greef said, turning to Cara.

The kid was cooing in Din’s arms, and Cara leaned forward to rub one of his little arms. “We can definitely figure something out,” she said, smiling.

“I’ll get my best people on it,” Greef said before calling to some workers nearby and directing them to fix the ship as good as new. He turned back to Din and Darcy, putting his arms out for the kid. “Come here, little one!” Din handed the child over. “Have they been takin’ good care of you?” The kid babbled in his arms as they all started walking into town.

Din’s hand went to the small of Darcy’s back as they walked. The town seemed to be bustling with activity, people all around—a lot of stands selling things and little shops. Din spoke with Cara and Greef, clearly impressed with how everything looked. Greef let them know that Cara had been cleaning up the town. Din told them about the run-in with the New Republic, and Greef had mentioned that he wished they would leave the Outer Rim alone. After the months that Darcy had spent in the universe, she had learned to read Aurebesh, the writing system commonly used throughout the galaxy. She could see that the group was headed for the Marshal headquarters from the sign on the door.

Something caught Darcy’s attention as they were walking.

She turned her head towards Din. “You catch up with your friends. I’m going to go explore for a bit.”

Din nodded. “You have your comm?”

“Yeah, I won’t be too long.”

She made a show of going to a little store that had food items as Din, and the kid went off with Greef and Cara. She was glad she went into this shop because Darcy found some treats she was sure the child would love. There were some macarons in various vibrant colors and some marshmallow looking purple things. She held a bag up to the shopkeeper.

“Excuse me, do you know if these can be roasted? Do they puff up and get gooey in the center?” She asked.

“Yes! That’s the best way to eat them,” the human shopkeeper replied with a smile.

“Sweet.” Maybe they’d have a chance for her to roast one for the kid. She knew he loved food. She had a feeling it was from all of his years in hiding that he didn’t get to eat that much, and it really tugged at her heart. She would make sure he had more than enough to eat.

Darcy grabbed the weird purple marshmallows and a few packages of macarons and paid the shopkeeper, stuffing everything into her messenger bag.

She peeked out of the store and found that Din was nowhere in sight and made her way to the place she actually wanted to visit.

Darcy understood that Mandalorians were a warrior race, and yeah, sweaters are nice, comfy, and Din looked hot as fuck in one, but she wanted to get him something special. Something that showed she understood he was a skilled fighter. Darcy felt that getting him a weapon would show him that she really cared. He’d said once that weapons were a part of his religion, and she believed it.

What caught her eye were the many different vibroblades in the front window of the shop. She stepped inside and found it was a full-on workshop, with what looked like a human working some metal with an impressive hammer. They were wearing a black apron, oversized gloves, and had what looked like a welders mask on that covered their entire head. It kind of reminded Darcy of a Mandalorian helmet, but it didn’t have the t-visor.

“Um, hello?” Darcy said awkwardly, trying to get their attention.

The person stopped hammering and turned towards her.

“Yes?” Darcy noted that they sounded feminine and had an accent, similar to Obi-Wan’s.

“I was wondering if I could get something made? I saw the vibroblades in the window? And uh, I wanted to get something made for my, uh, boyfriend?”

“You arrived with the Mandalorian, did you not?”

Darcy’s brows furrowed. Were they that obvious when they arrived? Maybe the people here just knew who Din was from that one battle they’d had before he’d met her.

“Yes. I did.”

“What is your name?”

“Darcy,” she replied.

“Darcy, tell me. Has the Mandalorian removed his helmet in your presence?”

“Uh, no? It’s against his creed. What does that have to do with the thing I wanted to get made?” She frowned.

“Mandalorians are feared warriors. If you are wanting something made for him, it will need to be strong. Tell me, Darcy. What did you have in mind?”

“A vibroblade, but not made from uh, durasteel? Do you have anything stronger than durasteel?” With how Din fought, she wanted something to last.

“Yes. Titanium would be stronger. Your Mandalorian wears beskar armor?”

Darcy nodded. “He does. But beskar is so rare.” A beskar vibroblade was the dream, but that would be impossible.

The other woman hummed in agreement. “Anything else for the vibroblade?”

“Yes. He has his own clan? It’s a Mandalorian thing with him and his son? I wanted to have his clan signet put into the hilt if that’s possible. He told me it’s a mudhorn? I can draw it if you need a visual?” There were so many planets and creatures, Darcy wasn’t sure if a mudhorn was common knowledge.

“I’m aware of what a mudhorn is. I can make what you are requesting. It’s simple enough and shouldn’t take too long.”

Darcy’s face lit up. “Awesome! I’ll just hang out then.”

The other woman nodded before turning back to her work area to begin working on what Darcy requested.

Darcy perused the various items all about the shop. Everything was exquisitely made, and she held a blade in her hand, testing the weight. This shop owner knew what they were doing. Darcy was so lost in enjoying what she was looking at that the time seemed to go by quickly.

“It is done,” the shopkeeper called.

Darcy made her way back towards the other woman. The weapon maker laid the blade onto the counter next to a sheath made of a leather looking material, and Darcy felt her breath hitch in her throat. The vibroblade was beautiful. It wasn’t too big and would easily fit in Din’s large palm. The hilt was black with silver swirly designs in it and an exact replica of Din’s mudhorn clan signet on it. The blade looked wicked sharp and had a line design etched into it. The silver of the blade seemed almost identical to the beskar Din wore. Darcy didn’t understand how people could even tell titanium and beskar apart. She picked it up and felt the balance before igniting it. Darcy could barely feel the vibrations; it was so smooth. She turned it off and set it back on the counter. Worry welled up in her. This was going to cost a fortune.

“You did an amazing job. It even reminds me of my boyfriend; strong and _very_ sexy,” Darcy nervously chuckled. “I probably should have negotiated before you went through all this trouble, but uh, how much do you want for it?” She bit her lip, mentally calculating the credits she had.

“I will not accept your credits. It is a gift.”

Darcy’s eyes widened. “I can’t possibly take it without paying. You put in so much work!”

The shopkeeper pushed the vibroblade closer to Darcy. “It seems you are now a clan of three. You know your weapons. I have heard tales of you and your Mandalorian fighting across the galaxy.” Darcy gulped. She didn’t want to be known; she couldn’t afford to be known. “You are a strong warrior, Darcy, and a good match for Din. Give him the blade.”

“Do… do you know him?”

“I might. Take it.”

She realized that there was no talking the shopkeeper into letting her pay for it, so she decided to just accept it. “Okay, I will. Thank you.” Darcy grabbed it and sheathed it, putting it into the bottom of her bag.

The shopkeeper nodded. “This is the way.”

Darcy thought that was a weird way for a non-Mandalorian to end a conversation. Still, she didn’t want to question it, so she gave the other woman a wave and turned on her heel, leaving the shop.

* * *

Darcy made her way back to where Din and everyone else was. She entered the building but didn’t see the group. A blue alien guy was sitting at a desk.

“Hey, did a metal wearing dude, a small green child, the Marshal, and Greef Karga come through here?” She asked the alien.

“Oh! You must be the Mandalorian’s partner. They went upstairs to Marshal Dune’s living quarters,” he pointed to the back of the room. “Stairs are back there to the left.”

“Thank you!” She gave him a big smile and followed his directions, making her way up the stairs.

The stairs ended on a landing with a door, which had to be Cara’s apartment. Darcy knocked, and a second later, the door was sliding open. She walked down a little hallway that opened into a living room. She spotted a kitchen area and a few doors, which she assumed led to a ‘fresher and a couple of bedrooms. There was a long couch in the middle of the living room and a couple of chairs surrounding a coffee table. Cara was in one of the chairs, Greef was on the couch with the kid in his lap, and Din had situated himself in the other chair that had a view of the entire room.

Everyone’s attention turned to her as she entered.

“Hi!” She said, waving. “Did I miss anything?” She asked, smiling.

“No, we’ve just been catching up,” Cara said. “Would you like anything to drink? I have some spotchka.”

“Oh, no thank you. I’m good,” she replied.

“Come have a seat,” Cara said.

Darcy made her way further into the room and headed for the couch to take a seat next to Greef.

“What do you think of our town?” Greef asked her.

“It’s nice! I enjoyed checking out the shops. Found some food that I think the kid will like.”

At the mention of food, the child’s head turned towards her, and he cooed. Darcy smiled at him.

“As you're well aware, Mando here isn’t a man of many words and hasn’t given us much information about you. Where are you from?” Cara asked.

Darcy panicked. Her original backstory when she’d been on Tatooine was that she had been from Alderaan, but Cara _was_ from Alderaan. She’d know Darcy was lying. Darcy blurted the first planet she could think of.

“Kashyyyk,” her eyes widened, immediately realizing her mistake.

Why did she say Kashyyyk?? That’s the planet where Wookiees are from.

Din let out a heavy sigh.

Cara’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t look like a Wookiee,” she said carefully.

“I was adopted,” a nervous chuckle escaped her lips.

“She’s from Tatooine. That’s where I found her,” Din said.

“Okay. Tatooine. Why the secrecy?”

“She knows things. Things that in the wrong hands could destroy the galaxy,” Din said.

“Is she a spy?” Cara was looking at Din.

“No, I’m not a spy. Just blessed with cursed knowledge. Or is it cursed?” She asked, head turning to Din, but he just shrugged. “But basically, I can’t let my knowledge get into the wrong hands,” she said, turning back to Cara.

Cara nodded. “If Mando trusts you, I trust you.”

Darcy's face lit up with a toothy grin. “Awesome!”

“You’re not doing a good job of keeping a low profile. Word has gotten back to us about a Mandalorian and a human companion who’s done some jobs in the outer rim taking out gangs.”

Darcy sighed. “I mean, we’ve only taken out five. Wait, Gor Koresh. Six small-time gangs. Nothing too serious. How has word gotten out here?” She asked, exasperated.

“Mando had a reputation before you joined him. He was my best bounty hunter,” Greef added. “Speaking of your combined battle prowess, we’d like to discuss a job that we need some help with.”

“We’re here for ship repairs,” Din said, evenly.

“The repairs will take some time, I’ve got my best crew on it, but I don’t see it getting done until tomorrow. Hear us out,” Greef said his attention on Din.

Din straightened in his chair. “Okay, we’ll listen.”

Cara leaned forward in her chair to hit something on the coffee table that pulled up a holo of the planet. “This is Nevarro. We’re here,” she said, pointing to a red dot. “This green zone is all safe.” There was a green outlined area that took up a good chunk of the map. “But over here,” she turned the map, it lighting up red and showing a fortress. “This is a problem.”

Darcy’s brows furrowed. “What’s the problem with it?” She asked.

Greef turned towards her. “It’s an old Imperial base.”

“When we had that big battle here last year and defeated Moff Gideon? That’s where all the troops came from.” Cara said, looking from Din to Darcy. “The base has been there since the Imperial expansion. It’s running with a skeleton crew, but for some reason, it hasn’t been abandoned.”

“There’s a lot of heavy weaponry that the black market would love to dismantle and get their hands on,” Greef said.

“You want to take out the Imperial force before they do?” Din asked.

“I just want them off of my planet,” Greef replied. “Taking out this last base would make Nevarro completely safe. It could make us a trade anchor for the entire sector.”

“And the planet would finally be free,” Cara added.

These were Din’s friends, and they needed their help. Plus, they were repairing the ship and not demanding payment. They said they’d work something out, and it was really the least they could do. It sounded like they wanted Darcy to join them, though. What would they do with the kid? Darcy looked over at Din and nodded to him that she’d be willing to help. He tilted his head in acknowledgment, which she took for him being down as well.

“You want both of us to assist? Right?” Darcy asked.

“Preferably,” Greef replied.

“Okay, the ship is being repaired. We’d need someone to watch the kid.”

“Nevarro has a great school he can attend tomorrow,” Greef said.

“He’s a toddler,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

Greef held the kid in front of him. “A very _gifted_ toddler,” he cooed. “He’d be safe there.” He put the kid back in his lap.

“You have my word,” Cara added. “He would be safe at the school.”

“Okay, what’s the plan?” Din asked, going into mission mode.

“We can do this tomorrow. The base is powered by a reactor,” Greef said.

“We sneak in, overload the reactor, and get the hell outta there,” Cara added.

“That sounds doable. Shouldn’t take too long with a team of four,” Darcy said. “You’re positive the base is only running on a skeleton crew? Stormtroopers might not have the best aim, but we can’t afford to run into too many.”

“All of our reports conclude the base is not running to its full capacity. I have no doubt we can take it out,” Cara replied.

“Is there somewhere we can stay for the night? An inn or something?” Din asked.

“Take my spare room,” Cara said, pointing to the door closest to the kitchen. “‘Fresher is next to it, and my room is the last door.”

“Thank you,” Din nodded. “Is there a cantina where we can get food?”

“The cantina is now the school,” Greef said, smiling.

“You turned the cantina into a school?” Din asked, sounding surprised.

“Quite a lot has changed since the last time you were here,” Cara said. “There are some street vendors who have fresh food. There’s a place around the corner that has the best roasted Kowakian.”

Kowakian sounded familiar. Darcy was pretty sure that was the weird little monkey-lizard creature that Jabba had as a pet in Return of the Jedi. His name was Salacious B. Crumb. Darcy had to wonder what the B stood for. It had never crossed her mind that people would eat them. At the thought of food, even mildly questionable food, Darcy’s stomach grumbled. If she was hungry, the kid and Din were probably hungry too.

“Well, since we’ve got a place to stay,” Darcy said, meeting Cara’s eyes, “Thank you, Cara. You are the best. We should probably go get some food and then turn in and get a good night's rest for tomorrow.”

“It’s no big deal,” Cara replied. “You’re really doing us a big favor.”

Darcy smiled. She carefully took the kid from Greef, the child babbling at her, probably letting her know he was hungry, and got up from her chair. Din also rose. They stashed their bags in the guest bedroom. It was just a room with a bed, a couple of nightstands, and to Darcy’s disappointment, a window. Din wouldn’t be able to sleep without his helmet. She knew he was used to sleeping with it on, but she liked the nights when she could run her fingers through his hair and kiss him when she felt like it.

When they went out to get food, it was already getting dark out. They decided to try the Kowakian, and they got food from some other stalls that smelled good. When they got back to Cara’s apartment, she had gone back down to her office to take care of some stuff, and Greef was nowhere to be found. Darcy, Din, and the kid had the apartment to themselves.

Cara had a four-person table in the kitchen that the three of them sat at, the child’s chair pulled close to Darcy’s so she could hand him food. Din was eating with them again, lifting his helmet up enough to take bites. Darcy couldn’t help sneaking glances again, and she was pretty sure she caught a glimpse of his mouth, her heart hammering in her chest. Darcy filled the silence with a commentary on the food they’d gotten and what she was liking. Once all the food was gone, she got the kid cleaned up and ready for bed. Before she knew it, Din and herself had changed into some comfortable clothes, and the three of them were lying in bed. Darcy was between the two of them, the kid passed out and Din had his helmet on.

Darcy was coming to the conclusion that when things involved the Empire, it made her nervous. She trusted Cara and Greef, though, and had to keep telling herself that everything would be okay. They’d take out the Imperial base, and Nevarro would be free. She curled herself into Din’s side, resting her head on his shoulder. Din’s arm wrapped around her, his fingers rubbing circles on her skin.

“You’re being quiet,” Din said, softly. “Are you worried?”

Darcy sighed. “Yeah. I just don’t like getting so close to the Empire,” she whispered.

Din hummed. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m not worried. Cara is a skilled fighter. We shouldn’t have any problems.”

It warmed Darcy’s heart that he was comforting her, and he did ease a bit of the nervousness. She leaned up and kissed his helmet. She started moving back.

“Wait, I want to kiss you,” Din said.

The room wasn’t fully pitch black; moonlight was filtering in from the window. “Let me just…” He moved his free hand to tilt his helmet up.

Darcy instinctively closed her eyes, leaned up, and angled her face so their lips could meet. The kiss started slow and sweet, just their lips moving together until Din deepened it, Darcy gasping against his mouth. His free hand tangled in her hair, pulling her closer to him. It was enough to make her forget about the next day and all of her worries. The only thing on her mind was Din and his lips and tongue and how much she loved him. When they finally pulled apart, their breaths were ragged. Din let his helmet fall back down, and Darcy curled back into his side.

“I love you,” she breathed.

Din’s hand went back to rubbing her arm. “I love you too, _cyar’ika_.” Darcy smiled at the term of endearment.

It didn’t take long for her to drift off into sleep.

* * *

When Darcy woke the next day, she was alone in the bed.

She frowned.

Getting up, she padded out to the main room to find Cara, Din, and the kid sitting at the kitchen table, Din handing the child food. Din was already dressed in all of his armor, and Cara looked ready to go as well.

  
Darcy yawned, stretching out her arms before making her way into the kitchen, taking a seat next to Din, leaning into him, and resting her head on his shoulder.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” She mumbled, closing her eyes, her voice rough with sleep.

“You sleep best in a regular bed, and we still have some time before we need to go,” Din said. He tilted his head down sideways to gently knock it against hers affectionately. Darcy hummed. It was true that she had slept well.

“This is so weird,” Cara said.

Darcy’s eyes popped open, having forgotten there was a whole other person there. Cara looked bewildered by their tiny bit of PDA.

“I know, Mando being sweet. It doesn’t make sense at all,” Darcy said, grabbing a muffin looking thing. She sniffed it. It smelled good and looked to have little bits of fruit in it. She shrugged before taking a bite.

Din let out a huff as he continued giving the kid food.

“First fatherhood and now a girlfriend? Mando, I don’t even know you anymore,” Cara was grinning.

Din let out a heavy sigh. The kid was happily chattering between bites.

“Do you by any chance have caf?” Darcy asked Cara, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, there’s a pot on the counter. Cups are in the cabinet above it.”

Caf was the Star Wars equivalent of coffee. Tasted the same too. Darcy didn’t get to drink it often, but when she did, it was like having a taste of home.

“Have I told you that you are the best?” Darcy said before getting up and heading towards the counter.

“Did you hear that, Mando? She’s called me the best twice now. Be careful, or I might just steal your girl,” Cara teased as she winked at Darcy.

Darcy blushed.

“Introducing the two of you was a bad idea,” Din grumbled.

Darcy got her cup of caf and set it on the table next to her half-eaten muffin. She then stood behind Din and put her head on his shoulder, draping her arms over his chest. “I’m sure Cara is wonderful,” Cara raised her cup in acknowledgment.

“I am wonderful and have never had any complaints in the bedroom,” Cara said, grinning.

“As wonderful as she might be,” Darcy continued, “You’re the only person for me. I’m a one partner kind of girl,” Darcy purred. She rubbed her hands over his cuirass and kissed the side of his helmet.

“Good,” Din’s voice low.

“Do the two of you need some privacy?” Cara asked with an eyebrow raised.

“Are you offering to babysit?” Darcy raised her own eyebrow.

Cara thought it over for a second. “Kid’s not too bad. I’m sure Greef wouldn’t mind watching the womp rat for the two of you after the mission.”

Darcy smiled. “We’ll think about it.” She moved to sit back in her seat and took a gulp of the caf. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the hot beverage, letting out a content sigh. “When do we need to be off?” Darcy asked.

“The school doesn’t open for another hour,” Cara replied.

Darcy nodded.

Darcy finished her breakfast and had time to shower and change into her armorweave outfit for the mission. Greef had shown up to let them know that their ship should be fixed in a few hours. They decided to drop off their bags on the ship before heading to take the kid to school, and Darcy was impressed with how much work they had gotten done on it. The Crest was looking more like a ship again and not a wreck.

When they arrived at the school, Darcy felt like a new parent dropping their kid off at preschool for the first time. There were so many kids. Darcy couldn’t help but worry about their child. Would he get along with the others? Din seemed to be hesitant about leaving the kid too. He set the child down at a desk and rubbed a hand over the kid’s head gently.

“Be good and listen to the teacher,” Din said softly as the child looked up at him with his big eyes. The teacher was a droid, which was apparently how schools were run in this universe.

Darcy leaned forward and rubbed one of the kid’s ears, the child cooing. “We love you and will be back soon to pick you up. As your dad said, be good,” she set a thing of the macarons she got the day before on the desk. “Here’s a snack,” the child smiled and leaned forward to grab one of the treats.

Darcy and Din didn’t seem to want to leave, and Cara must have gotten that vibe. “He’ll be safe here,” Cara told them. “As I said, you have my word he’ll be okay.”

Darcy looked at Din, and they slowly backed away, Darcy waving to the child and wiggled his little hand at her while holding a macaron. She had to believe Cara that the kid would be okay in the school. Darcy needed to focus on their mission.

* * *

The blue alien guy from Cara’s office was named Mythrol, and he would be driving them out to the base in his speeder. He’d mentioned to Darcy that Din had caught him once and that he still couldn’t see out of one of his eyes from being put in carbonite. Darcy had wondered if there were lingering side effects from carbon freezing. In Return of the Jedi, when Han had been frozen, he couldn’t see for a bit afterward, but eventually, his sight came back. Maybe Mythrol would be able to see out of his eye again at some point? Greef had let her know the blue alien had stolen from him and was now working off the debt for the next three hundred years.

The five of them loaded up into the speeder. Mythrol driving, Cara in the passenger seat, and Darcy squeezed between Greef and Din in the back. It wasn’t the most comfortable drive, but they didn’t really have any other choice.

They arrived at the base and parked in front of a door. Darcy was geared up with her blaster and a vibroblade in her boot, and Din was always a walking armory. They couldn’t seem to get the blast door to open, something about the lava destroying the components. Greef finally told Mythrol to try and break into the control panel. It was taking him a while.

They really didn’t have time to mess around.

“Hold tight,” Din said. He had his jet pack and flew up to the top of the base.

Everyone was getting impatient.

“How long is this going to take?” Cara said.

“Look, these tools are normally used for light plumbing. You’re lucky I even packed them,” Mythrol snapped.

Darcy was sure Din would figure out a way to get them in, and sure enough, there was screaming from up above. They all looked up and watched as a stormtrooper fell to the ground near them, the blast door beeping and finally opening.

Darcy shook her head but grabbed her blaster and joined Cara and Greef in the elevator. Mythrol stayed outside.

“Are you coming?” Greef asked the alien.

“I think I’ll just stay out here,” Mythrol replied.

Darcy was getting that the dude just didn’t want to be involved in what they were doing, and it was getting annoying. Darcy huffed.

“When the lava tide rolls in, let us know, and we’ll drop you a rope,” Cara told Mythrol.

He thought it over for a second and then quickly got into the elevator with them. They made it to the top of the base, blasters at the ready. The elevator doors opened, and Din was standing there blaster in hand with five stormtroopers lying motionless on the ground.

 _So much for an empty base_ , Darcy thought.

“Empty base, huh?” Din said to the group.

Darcy sidled up next to him. “We just can’t catch a break, can we?” Darcy whispered to him.

Din sighed. “No, we can’t.”

“The reactor should be set in the heat shaft. We empty the cool lines, and the base will go up in flames in minutes,” Greef said.

“Oh wow! A mint Trexler Marauder. This would go for a lot on the black market,” Mythrol announced. He was looking at a huge durasteel metal transport carrier. If Darcy had to guess, it was probably used to carry troops.

Darcy’s eyes narrowed. “The point of this mission is to get rid of everything so it can’t be sold on the black market, remember?” She said pointedly.

“It will be vaporized like the rest of the base. Now let’s go,” Din added, sounding impatient. Darcy was in agreement that they needed to get this done as soon as possible.

“Such a waste,” Mythrol sighed.

The group carefully made their way through the corridors, blasters drawn to get to the command center. They snuck past a couple groups of about a dozen stormtroopers. This base was definitely _not_ running on a skeleton crew. Darcy was feeling like there was something more going on here, but she couldn’t know what. If Moff Gideon and his troops had been taken out the year prior, why was the Empire still running this base? It wasn’t making any sense to her.

They arrived at the command center and found only one Imp running security. Cara quickly choked the guy out while Din got into the security controls. He disabled all of the cameras and found the location of the heat shaft.

“This will come in handy,” Greef said, holding up a tiny piece of metal that he took off the Imp’s body.

“What is it?” Darcy asked.

“A code cylinder. Should unlock doors and controls,” Greef replied.

“Sweet,” Darcy smiled.

“Follow me,” Din said to the group.

They went through more corridors, coming across another group of stormtroopers and everyone carefully hiding in an empty hallway. Once clear, they continued walking.

“It should be right past this junction,” Din said.

They followed him to a big door.

“Mythrol, slice this door,” Din said, glancing at the alien.

“Use the code cylinder,” Greef said, passing Mythrol the item.

The big door opened, and they all entered, another door down the hall opening. The shaft was almost unbearably hot. Darcy got near the edge and looked down, seeing lava at the bottom.

“ _It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes_ ,” Darcy whisper-sang to herself.

“What was that?” Din asked as he stood next to her, gazing down at the lava.

“Inappropriate singing,” Darcy replied, grinning up at him.

His helmet turned towards her, tilting slightly. She recognized it as his, ‘Really?’ head tilt.

“That’s really far down,” Mythrol said, getting a little too close to the edge. Din put out an arm to keep him back.

“That’s the reactor controls,” Greef said, pointing with his blaster towards it. He looked at Mythrol, “Get on there and drain the coolant lines. We’ll watch the doors.”

“Me?” Mythrol gulped.

“Yes, you!” Greef hissed.

“I’m afraid of heights. And heat. And lava.”

Darcy’s eyes narrowed. If she understood how the controls worked, she would have just done it herself.

“I’m getting this close to putting you back into carbonite,” Greef said, pinching his fingers close together, “Get over there!”

“Fine, fine,” Mythrol said, carefully walking to the unit. “There aren’t any guard rails.”

“Definitely an OSHA violation,” Darcy murmured to herself. Din and her had moved to stand by the open door, making sure no stormtroopers approached.

She could hear Mythrol pushing buttons. Greef kept telling him to hurry up. Alarms started going off.

“Okay, she’s gonna blow!” Mythrol shouted. Din took the lead, heading down the hall. Darcy stayed behind him as they all jogged through the corridors.

“How long do we have?” Cara asked.

“Ten minutes at most,” Mythrol replied, sounding out of breath.

They got to a junction, Din putting up a signal with his hand for them all to stop as they heard some stormtroopers talking. He pointed back down the way they’d come, and everyone followed as he went that way, then turned down a different hallway. They ended up in a room with two Imps, who immediately drew guns on them. They were quickly taken out.

Darcy got a good look at the room, and her heart dropped. Tanks were lining one wall with weird creatures inside that didn’t look right. Darcy had been in enough labs to know this was one. The Empire was up to something.

She grabbed Din’s arm, and he turned to her. “We’re in a lab. This isn’t just a military base,” she said.

Everyone else must have realized what was going on.

“I thought you said this was a forward operating base,” Cara said as she stared at the tanks.

“I thought it was,” Greef replied.

“We need to get into the system and figure out what’s going on,” Cara said, turning to the others.

Greef looked at Mythrol, “Get into the system and get the information.”

“But the reactor?” Mytrhol asked.

“Just do it!” Greef shouted.

“I don’t like this,” Din said.

“Yeah, me either,” Darcy replied. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

Mythrol went over to the controls and fiddled around a bit until a holo popped up. Din tensed at the sound of the voice, slowly turning towards the recording. Darcy turned too.

“Do you know who that is?” Darcy asked him.

“Dr. Pershing. He experimented on the kid before I uh, saved him.”

Darcy focused on the man speaking on the recording. “... _Replicated the results of the subsequent trials, which also resulted in catastrophic failure. There were promising effects for an entire fortnight, but then, sadly, the body rejected the blood. I highly doubt we’ll find a donor with a higher M-count, though. I recommend that we suspend all experimentation. I fear that the volunteer will meet the same regrettable fate if we proceed with the transfusion. Unfortunately, we have exhausted our initial supply of blood. The Child is small, and I was only able to harvest a limited amount without killing him. If these experiments are to continue as requested, we would again require access to the donor. I will not disappoint you again, Moff Gideon._ ” Her eyes widened.

“This recording has to be old. Moff Gideon is dead,” Din said.

Mythrol grimaced, “It’s three days old.”

“If Moff Gideon is alive…” Din said.

“The kid,” Darcy whispered, her chest tightening in fear. Their son was in danger. They needed to get back to him.

She had to put her panic on the backburner when half a dozen stormtroopers arrived. The Imps opened fire on them. Everyone took cover behind pillars, Darcy stayed behind Din. They quickly took out the troopers. Din and Darcy got out from behind their piller, Din heading towards the door they entered.

“We need to get back to the kid,” Din called to Cara.

She nodded. “Jet back, it will be quicker. We’ll take the speeder and meet you in town,” Cara said, heading in the opposite direction.

“Come on, Darcy,” he said, jogging down the hallway.

“I’ve got your back,” she said, blaster at the ready, watching behind them as they ran.

They quickly took out any stormtroopers they came across. They were heading back to the shaft, where there was an opening to the facility’s top. They entered, and the lava had risen quite a bit.

“Wrap your arms around my neck and hang on!” Din said quickly. A trooper came out on the other side of the shaft, and Din shot them as Darcy moved to the front of him, wrapping her arm around his neck. She still had her blaster in her other hand. Two troopers were coming down the hall they’d just come from. Darcy quickly shot them, holstered her weapon, and looped her arm around Din. He pulled her close with one hand, holding her against him in an iron grip, and then they were leaving the ground. When they got to the top, Din took out two more troopers, Darcy hearing the ting of a blaster bolt hitting Din’s armor. They jetted away across the sky, Darcy not even freaking out about flying; her only worry was their son.

Was he safe? Had Gideon gotten to him? Her arms tightened around Din as she shoved her face into his shoulder.

They landed right outside the school and ran inside, their blasters drawn. All of the children turned to look at them with wide eyes, the teacher droid going silent. Darcy spotted their kid, where they left him. He turned in his seat to look at them, a smile on his face and a teal macaron in his hand. Darcy smiled, quickly holstering her blaster as they approached him.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Darcy said to the teacher. “Just picking up our son.”

Din had holstered his weapon and picked up the child and his macarons.

“Thank you!” Darcy called as they left.

They sprinted across town to where the Crest was. Greef wasn’t lying when he said they’d fix it up. It did look brand new. They all rushed to the cockpit, Din jumping into the pilot’s seat. The copilot chairs had new seat belts installed.

“Fasten the kid into his own seat,” Din said.

Darcy set the child into the chair and got him fastened in all nice and snug, then got herself into the other seat, strapping herself in. The kid was still munching on his treats.

“They’re going to need aerial support,” Din called as he got the ship into the air quickly. Darcy was surprised at how smoothly the ship was running.

Darcy looked out the window and saw three TIE fighters in the distance. She knew Din would make quick work of them. He got them high up in the air, above the tie-fighters so they wouldn’t be seen on their radar, and then turned around, so they were behind the other ships. It looked like the others had taken the big Trexler Marauder ship to escape. Din quickly took out the center TIE fighter.

“Hang on,” Din said. The child made excited noises.

They were following the other two tie-fighters as they were ascending into the sky. The Crest was heading straight up. The kid’s giggles got Darcy’s attention, and she saw he had his little arms up in the air like they were on a rollercoaster. It was the absolute cutest thing. He turned to look at her, smiling and giggling.

“You having fun, buddy?” She cooed. He babbled a reply.

They were in an actual dogfight.

She heard the beeping of the targeting computer as Din lined up a shot and she watched as the tie fighter ahead of them blew up.

Darcy and the kid both let out excited whoops. Din then did that thing that kind of freaked her out where he got the ship to come to a complete stop in the air as he turned them quickly down towards the remaining tie fighter. She heard the engines as they powered back up. They were facing the ground, and she could see the other ship in the distance. Din put them in a spin to avoid the TIE fighter’s shots, and Darcy felt a bit lightheaded. The child was giggling again, and then Din was taking the shot, the other ship exploding before he evened their ship out.

“Not too bad, huh?” Din said, turning towards her.

Darcy smiled. “Very sexy. You’re the best pilot in the galaxy.” The kid made a noise, Darcy’s head turning towards him as he spit up all over the front of his outfit. “Oh, no, buddy!” She didn’t have anything to wipe him down with.

Din turned to the other side to look at the child, “Oh, boy,” he hit some buttons for an incoming transmission, as he grabbed his cape and leaned back to wipe the kid’s mouth, trying to fly and clean the child up at the same time. Darcy felt like her ovaries were going to explode from him going into dad mode.

“ _That was some excellent flying!_ ” Greef’s voice came over the comm. “ _How much do we owe ya?_ ”

“With the repairs, we’ll call it even,” Din said, glancing back at the kid to make sure he was cleaned up. Darcy would have to wash his little outfit and Din’s cape.

“ _Can I at least buy you a drink?_ ”

“Sorry. I’ve got some onboard maintenance I’ve gotta do. And we need to hit the road before Gideon catches wise.”

“ _Well, good luck flying, my friend. And tell Darcy it was a pleasure to meet her._ ”

Din cut the comms. Darcy smiled. She thought meeting his friends went well. She liked them. Cara was a total badass, and Greef seemed cool. She couldn’t help but worry about Gideon still being alive. They’d have to lay low for a bit.

* * *

Once Din had gotten them into hyperspace, Darcy decided she might as well get some laundry done since the kid had puked on his favorite and only outfit.

They had what Darcy could only describe as a space combination washer and dryer unit that they used for laundry. Din had explained how it worked to her. It used steam and then ultrasonic vibrations, like in a sonic shower, to clean the laundry. All she cared about was that she’d put a load of clothes in, and twenty minutes later, they were clean and dry. The first load was the kid’s outfit and Din’s cape.

The kid’s stomach seemed to be feeling better as he ran around the hull, giggling as Darcy cleaned. She had put one of her shirts over him, and he was hiding behind crates and peeking out at her. She went to go find him, seeing the edge of the shirt he was wearing on the ground behind a large container. Darcy quickly moved behind the crate, “Gotcha!” She said, then frowned. The shirt was on the floor, but there was no child. She heard a giggle and a naked kid ran past her, having the time of his life. Darcy laughed.

The laundry machine beeped, letting her know it was done, and she grabbed the clothes from it, setting them on the small bunk. She got the kid’s outfit and followed his giggles to where he was hiding. He laughed when she found him and let her put his outfit back on him. “We can play hide and seek after I put another load of laundry in,” Darcy told him, smiling. The child made a happy chirping sound, and Darcy leaned down to rub his head.

Once the laundry was started, she kept her promise, and they played for a while in the hull. Darcy had just turned around after counting to three to try and find the little guy, playfully announcing where she was looking. She was pretty sure the kid was behind a crate towards the back, so she took her time getting back there.

“I found you!” Darcy said, picking him up as he giggled. She turned around to find Din standing by the ladder, watching them silently. Darcy didn’t know how long he’d been watching since he could be very quiet when he wanted. She smiled and waved at him. “Look who’s here,” Darcy whispered to the kid. They started making their way towards Din, the child letting out a big yawn.

Din took the kid from her arms. “Looks like he’s ready for a nap,” Din said, looking at the child. At the mention of a nap, the kid’s eyes started drooping. Din took the child to the bunk, setting him in his little hammock. Darcy smiled as she watched Din gently rub one of the kid’s ears affectionately.

He stepped back from the bunk and closed the door, so the little guy wouldn’t be bothered.

Din turned around and pointed at the ground near her. She looked to see the shirt the child had discarded that she hadn’t put away yet.

“Kid didn’t want to wear it?” Din asked.

Darcy shook her head.

“I have to say, I like your shirt better on the floor as well.”

Darcy felt her cheeks burn. “Din…” She whispered.

Din opened his arms. “Come here,” he said.

He didn’t have to tell her twice. Darcy moved into his embrace, his arms pulling her closer to him, and he rested his head on top of hers.

He smelled like blaster residue, metal, and a spiciness that was uniquely him and that she loved. It was a comforting smell. She smiled, realizing it was the smell of home.

She could feel that he was tense. She wasn’t surprised since they’d been on a mission that day and found out the dude who was hellbent on getting his hands on their son is actually alive and not dead as they thought. Darcy sighed.

Her head was resting against his cuirass, the metal cool against her face. “We can keep him safe, right?” Darcy asked softly.

“Yes. We’ll keep him safe, and then the Jedi will keep him safe too. You’ve told me Jedi are strong warriors.”

Darcy hummed. Her heart clenched at the reminder that they’d have to let the kid go. “I don’t know if I’m ready to let him go,” Darcy whispered, her throat feeling tight.

“Me either,” Din said softly, squeezing her against him. “We knew it would have to happen sooner or later,” he said after a second.

“I’d prefer later,” Darcy replied.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

He was a good man and an excellent father. Darcy remembered the vibroblade in her bag. She leaned back and looked up at him. “Hey, I kind of got you something when we were on Nevarro.”

Din’s head tilted. “Another sweater?” He teased.

Darcy grinned. “No, uh, something different. Hold on.”

She left his embrace and went to where she had stashed her messenger bag. She rummaged around until she found what she was looking for. “Close your eyes!” She called, looking at him over her shoulder.

“Close my eyes?” Din questioned.

“Yes, please.” She waited for a second, still watching him. “Are they closed?”

“Yes?”

“Good. Keep them closed,” she said, getting up with the sheathed blade in her hand and stepping in front of him. “Put your hands out.”

He did as she said, and she carefully set the weapon into his open palms. “You can open your eyes.”

His helmet tilted down, and his palm grasped the exposed hilt of the vibroblade. He moved it up closer to his helmet as he examined the design, a sound of static coming from his modulator like he was sucking in a breath. Carefully he pulled the blade from the sheath. He looked at it for a second before tapping the blade against the beskar armor on his arm. It made a high ‘ting’ sound.

“It’s beskar,” he said, sounding awed. “Where did you get this?” His voice was heavy with emotion.

Darcy’s eyes widened. “Wait, it’s beskar?”

“Yes. You didn’t know? Did you have this made?” He asked, looking at her.

Darcy started rambling and speaking with her hands. “Yes. There was a shop with really cool vibroblades in the window and a woman who was kind of intense. She had her head covered with a welding mask and asked a lot of questions. I told her I wanted a blade made out of something stronger than durasteel, and she said titanium would be stronger. I figured that’s what it was made out of? But she had brought up that your armor was beskar, and she wouldn’t even let me pay for it! I mean, look at it. She said weird stuff, too, like us being a clan of three? And that I was a strong warrior and to give you the blade. She also asked personal stuff, like if you’d removed your helmet in front of me? It was weird, but look at how beautiful it is. It’s perfect for you. Oh! And when I was leaving, she said, ‘This is the way,’ I’m so confused, babe.”

Din was silent for a second as he went over what she had said. “She survived,” he breathed.

“Who? You know this person?”

“The Armorer. The leader of my tribe on Nevarro. She told you to give this blade to me?”

“Well, I mean, she didn’t have to tell me,” Darcy bit her lip. “I’d been planning on having one made for you for a while. You’ve mentioned weapons are a part of your religion, and I wanted to get you something you’d appreciate, and that meant something.” She shrugged.

“Do you know the significance of Mandalorians giving their partners weapons?” Din asked, his head tilted.

Darcy’s brows furrowed. “No?”

Did she do something wrong? Did she offend him by accident?

“When a Mandalorian presents their partner with a weapon, it’s an indication that they wish to spend the rest of their life fighting beside them,” he said carefully.

Darcy’s eyes widened, it registering what she had unintentionally done. “So, me giving you this vibroblade was basically a marriage proposal?” Panic was taking over her. She didn’t want to scare him away.

“Yes,” Din said softly.

She gathered her thoughts, nodding. “Okay, well, as you’re aware, I am _not_ a Mandalorian and didn’t know of this specific custom. So, uh, I don’t want to scare you away? I don’t want you to feel pressured into something you don’t want.” She wasn’t opposed to the idea of marriage, especially when it came to Din.

This seemed to be causing Din to feel the doubts he tried to keep bottled up. “I want more than anything for you to be my _riduur_ ,” Din announced. “But, what if you return to your own universe?” He said the last part softly, and it broke Darcy’s heart a little bit that he worried she would leave him. She thought she had made it very clear that he was stuck with her, and it’d been so long since she’d come to this universe, she doubted Jane was going to find her at this point. She glanced at her tracking bracelet, a reminder of where she came from.

She looked up at his t-visor, feeling like they were staring at each other. “I don’t want to return to my universe?” She said carefully. “I mean, it’s been a hot minute since I got here, and I don’t think they’ll be able to find me, but even if they did? Din,” her hand went up to caress the side of his helmet. “You’re my home. You and the kid? You’re it for me. Wherever you go, I go.”

“How can you be sure?”

Darcy frowned, taking a deep breath. “Because I love you?” She was gesturing with her hands as she spoke. “I love you and the kid more than I’ve loved anyone else. Yeah, I love and miss my friends in New York, but it’s not the same. It’s like I had a missing piece, and then I found you, and now I feel whole? It’s cheesy as fuck, but you complete me. We’re so good together. I’ve thought about this a lot, and besides my friends, there isn’t really anything else for me back on Earth. Here I’ve got you and our son and a whole galaxy to explore.”

Din was quiet for a moment. “You would choose the kid and me over what you had before?”

Darcy nodded. “In a heartbeat.”

“You won’t get tired of me and regret coming here?” He said carefully.

Darcy sighed. “We’ve been together in close quarters for what seven or eight months? Believe me, I think we would have gotten tired of each other by now.”

Din’s helmet tilted. It was the tilt that showed a little bit of confusion. “We’ve been traveling together for almost a whole standard year.”

Darcy’s eyes widened. “What?” She squeaked. “Aren’t there thirty days in a month?” Darcy realized she’d stopped keeping track of the days after she joined him and the child. Plus, there was no setting sun while they were in hyperspace and the various planets they visited had different hours of the day.

Din shook his head. “Thirty-five days in a standard month.”

“This is what we get for not having a calendar or a clock on the wall! How am I supposed to keep track of time?”

“The navcomputer has a calendar and clock installed,” Din said slowly.

Darcy narrowed her eyes and jutted a finger at him. “You know for a fact that I don’t touch anything in the cockpit because I’m terrified I’ll accidentally kill us.”

Din nodded. “Good point. Don’t touch anything in there.” She could hear a smile in his voice, and she felt herself soften, a smile turning up on her own lips.

“Just so we’re clear, I didn’t mean to propose marriage. But I’m also not against it. I’ll let you decide when you’re ready. And you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not,” she poked him in the cuirass, smiling at him.

His free hand grasped her fingers, and he brought them up under his helmet so he could kiss her fingertips. Darcy felt a fluttering in her stomach and shivered. He lowered her hand. “How do people where you’re from propose?”

“They just ask?” Darcy shrugged. “Traditionally speaking, one of them gets down on a knee and presents an engagement ring. But look at me, I’m not very traditional.” She thought it over for a second. “How do Mandalorian’s propose? Is it just presenting the weapon? What’s a marriage ceremony like?”

“For the proposal, one of the partners presents a weapon. We’re a warrior race.” He shrugged. “For the marriage ceremony, it’s just an exchange of vows between the two,” he said thoughtfully.

“Is it a big thing for the exchanging of vows? Friends and family there to watch?” Darcy asked.

Din shook his hand. “No, just the two of them in private... And any children they have.”

Darcy knew that kids were an important part of Mandalorian culture. They raised foundlings as their own after all.

Darcy hummed.

Din looked at the vibroblade in his hand again. “She said we were a clan of three?”

Darcy nodded. “She did.”

“Good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought! I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for reading!
> 
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